At Williams field on the night of Nov. 3, Ankeny arrived in force to defeat the Dowling Maroons in a stunning win that earned them a trip to the University of Northern Iowa-Dome.
The Maroons entered the game favored by 16 points, but the Ankeny Hawks showed up with solid defense and a strong passing game from quarterback Luke Anderson to come out on top.
The Hawks’ ability to shut down the Maroon’s passing game and contain Dowling junior powerhouse running back Ra’Shawd Davis were also keys to the Hawk victory.
The first score of the game came towards the end of the first quarter with a one-yard touchdown pass to junior Mason Randolph.
In the middle of the second quarter, Dowling answered with a rushing touchdown to tie the score 7-7 for the score at the half.
The first points of the second half came with about 4 minutes to go in the third quarter. Luke Anderson completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Andrew Brandhorst. The score put Ankeny on top 14-7.
To start the fourth quarter, Ankeny recovered a Dowling fumble at the Hawks 22-yard line to end the Dowling drive and protect the Hawk lead against the Maroons.
Late in the fourth quarter, Dowling took the ball inside the Ankeny 20-yard line in an attempt to tie the score. An impressive defensive stand by the Hawks forced them to turn over the ball on downs, ending Dowling’s hope of scoring against Ankeny.
The Hawk win positions Ankeny to face off against Centennial at the UNI-Dome semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10.
